Finding Miss Potter
by happyalvin
Summary: Everyone thought that Katherine Potter was crazy. That the younger sister of James Potter was committed to St. Mungos. To protect herself and her only nephew Kate began a new life and kept her distance away from Harry until she received the news of Sirius' escape. Now Kate will do anything to protect her nephew and nothing will stop her from keeping him safe, not even Sirius Black.
1. Chapter 1

_Numb. That was the only way to describe how Katherine Potter felt as she was in the midst of going through the worst of her life. James was dead. Her older brother was dead as was his wife Lily, murdered in their home by Voldemort. A dark wizard who had been reigning terror on the wizarding world. He had destroyed Katherine's life by taking away the only remaining family that she had let in the world. Except for Harry, dear sweet little Harry who was her brother's son and the miraculous survivor of the devastating event that had happened less than ten hours ago. Katherine's heart ached, she couldn't remember the last time she had seen her brother in person and what they said, if she had told him that she loved him. She didn't remember and Katherine could remedy that as James was gone. Her big brother was gone. Lily was gone. Katherine wanted to cry, she wanted to scream and shout until she couldn't breathe anymore but she knew she had to be brave for Harry._

_Holding her sleeping nephew in her arms, Katherine took in every detail of the sleeping infant trying to memorize everything she could as this was the last time she would see Harry for a long time. The two of them were saying goodbye as the one year old infant was going to stay with his mother's sister and her muggle relatives as they were the only ones who could take him. Katherine was too young, only fifteen and still in the middle of her education. Harry had to go stay with the Dursleys, Professor Dumbledore had been adamant about that saying that it was for Harry's protection. Katherine didn't understand, she didn't understand what had gone on and why it had happened but nevertheless here she was outside No. 4 Privet Drive to say goodbye. Professor Dumbledore had brought Katherine with him to where they were going to leave Harry in order for her to say goodbye. He told Katherine that it was the least she deserved to have after such a devastating loss. Despite how numb Katherine felt on the inside, she could feel the warmth coming of her nephew. Harry was sound asleep, his eyes shut tightly unaware of everything that had happened. Just holding Harry made Katherine want to cry afain as she knew that James and Lily would never get the chance to this again, they were dead and never coming back. Harry was the sole survivor of that dreadful attack, seemingly unharmed from had occurred in Godric's Hollow apart from the lightening scar on his forehead. A scar that would be a constant reminder of everything he had lost…_

_"I don't want to do this. I don't want to leave you here with these people but I have to. It's the only way to keep you safe and I can't be here to keep you safe. None of this makes sense to me, I don't understand why we have to be apart when we're all that the other have in the world. But I will do to keep you safe Harry, it breaks my heart to do this but I must… Things will be different, you won't be with your own kind and you will know nothing about the wizarding world for a while. You are different from the muggles and you may realize that you don't fit in with them and their odd ways. That you aren't really one of them but you are not alone. At times it may seem like it but you will never really be alone Harry. Even though we will be apart I will always be with you. James and Lily will be always be by your side. Someone once told me that the ones we love never really leave us and whilst in death your parents are no longer here, you will carry James and Lily inside of you, for the rest of your lives. They may not be around to see you grown up but they will live on in both our hearts."_

_"Miss Potter, I'm afraid it's time…" Professor Dumbledore said and Katherine slowly nodded her head, careful not to wake the sleeping infant. Taking a deep breath Katherine walked over to the front porch of the Dursley's house and she stood there for a moment before placing a kiss on Harry's forehead before placing him down on the front step. Katherine took a few steps backwards, keeping her eyes on Harry as she did. Eventually Katherine came to a stop and once she had, she felt a hand on her shoulder and she didn't have to turn around to know that it was Professor McGonagall her head of house._

_"Goodbye Harry, you are in my heart always…"_

* * *

Katherine Potter was in trouble. Or rather Kate Goodwin was in trouble given that was the name that Kate had been going by for the last nine years ever since 'Katherine Potter' had been committed to St. Mungos, after having a mental break down after years of struggling to come to terms with losing her family. Well that was what everyone believed but it was a rather big white lie, although there was a Katherine Potter at St. Mungos if anyone did go looking for Katherine although it wasn't the real one. The real Katherine Potter was living under the alias of Kate Goodwin and had done every since the summer that she had finally finished her education at Hogwarts. Shortly afterwards Katherine Potter dropped off the radar, rumours of her mental state spreading like wildfire round the wizarding world and returned a year later as Kate Goodwin; a new person free of the heavy burden of reluctant fame and the difficult past that had been following her every since her brother and his wife had been murdered by one of the most famous dark wizards of all time. But that had been a long time ago, almost twelve years in fact. Stifling a yawn as she wondered through the ministry Katecouldn't help but why on earth she was being asked summoned to the office so late at night. Upon reaching the Auror headquarters Kate found it to be pretty much empty, most of the cubicles were empty which meant most of her colleagues were either out of the office tracking down a lead or at home like Katherine had been until she had been summoned. Whatever Kate had done had to be bad otherwise she wouldn't be called in at this time.

"I thought that was you, nobody else would dream of walking into this office the way you do!"

Stopping in her tracks Kate slowly turned around to see her fellow auror Nolan Calloway looking at her with his infamous smirk plastered on his face that made him look like the cat that ate the canary. There wasn't enough words to describe Nolan Calloway, underneath the cool easy going and somewhat lazy nature was a man who had the ability to press Kate buttons whenever he felt like it. He was the few people who were able to fluster Kate and he just so happened to be her husband. "What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be out with Dawlish tonight?"

"Hi Kate, it's good to see you…" Nolan greeted in a sarcastic manner because of Kate's lack of pleasantries and she couldn't help but roll her eyes as she didn't think the small talk was that necessary. "Fine…I was until I got called back to the office, apparently Scrimgeour wants to see me."

"You too?" Kate questioned as now she was more than worried now if both her and Nolan were both getting called in to see the boss at this time of the night.

"You don't think this is about the Darwin incident?" Nolan asked and Kate couldn't help but frown, that could explain why the two of them were both called down here. But Kate was still at a lost as to why their boss was bringing them into the office so late, if they were here to get yelled out over something they had done then he could have done earlier on in the day. Something was going on. Either it had something to do with a witch or wizard that they had been looking for or they were getting fired.

"That happened three months ago, if we we're going to get in trouble for what happened then it would have happened long before now…" Kate wearily replied as her and Nolan began to walk past the cubicles that each auror occupied in the office as they made their way to Rufus Scrimgeour's office.

"Well at least if we're getting fired then we are getting fired together."

"Speak for yourself." Kate muttered in response as she would very much prefer to leave this office with her job still in tact as she had worked very hard to get to where she was today. Kate couldn't believe that Nolan was making jokes at a time like this but then she reminded herself that he had a habit of making jokes at inappropriate times and despite that she still willingly chose to marry. Eventually arriving at their boss' office Kate knocked on the door and after a moment a familiar voice called out telling them to come in. Taking a deep breath Nolan opened the door and in walked Kate followed by her husband. Much to Kate's surprise Scrimgeour wasn't alone, we was with none other than the Minister For Magic Corenlius Fudge. Kate couldn't help but glance over at Nolan as this really couldn't be good now. The two of them had been called into work late at night and were face first with their boss and the top boss. They were definitely getting fired, there was no doubt about it.

"Goodwin, Calloway glad you could make it in on such short notice. Sorry to call you in so late but this couldn't wait. We wanted to let you know first before the news got out and you were blind sighted by it." Scrimgeour said which caused Kate and Nolan to look around uneasily. So maybe they weren't getting fired after all…

"Miss Potter I'm afraid I bring some bad news." Fudge began and Kate couldn't help but frown as she was referred to by her actual surname. It was something that Kate had been called in years and very few people knew who she actually was. Outside of this room only four other people knew that Kate Goodwin and Katherine Potter was the same person. Never before had Kate been referred to as Miss Potter in this office, normally it was just Goodwin, Auror Goodwin, Kate or the occasionally Mrs. Calloway. It was never Miss Potter. Not once on the few occasions that Kate had come to face with the Minister of Magic had he called her Miss Potter. "I'm afraid that I must inform you that Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban."

"Excuse me?" Kate asked after a moment even though she had heard what Fudge had said, Kate felt like she had been punched in the stomach over this bit of information. She was stunned over this news as Sirius has been a friend of hers, he had been James' best friend and was practically a brother to the both of them. Until he betrayed them all in the worst possible way by giving up James and Lily's location when they were in hiding from Voldemort. Sirius then went on to kill an old school friend of his Peter Pettigrew and a dozen muggles when trying to evade capture, he ending up getting a one way ticket to Azkaban for that. Kate thought that Sirius would spend the rest of his days rotting away in the prison cell until the day he died. Kate never thought that something like this would happen.

"How is that even possible?" Nolan questioned, asking the question that Kate would have asked if she could bring herself to actual to ask it. Azkaban was supposed to be inescapable, Kate had never been there herself but she knew the prison was on the island in the middle of a North Sea and guarded by dementors. Even if someone managed to get past a dementors they never would have never managed to survive the swim. No one had ever escaped from Azkaban before. Yet here they were.

"We're not sure yet, but a full investigation is under way and we will led it and we will recapture Black and put him back where he belongs." Scrimgeour stated and it did little to make Kate feel better. There was something else going on here, it was thing calling Kate in to alert her to the fact that the man who turned her family's location into Voldemort was one thing. Fudge didn't have to be here which meant that something else was involved, something that warranted the attention of Cornelius Fudge that brought him here so late at night. Kate doubted that the two men were worried about her or Nolan. They were here about something else or rather someone else.

"You think he's after–" Kate began.

"–The boy, yes we have a reason to believe so." Scrimgeour replied and Kate felt her jaw harden as she glanced over to her boss as she felt like her whole world was turning upside again.

"The boy has name Scrimgeour, it's Harry Potter and he's my nephew."


	2. Chapter 2

Kate was furious. She was angry and frustrated to no ends and she had the urge to throttle someone as the hunt for Sirius was not going well. They were still so many unanswered questions, which no one could begin to explain especially the one about how Sirius managed to escape. He seemed to have just escaped and disappeared under a huge cloud of smoke. It had been two weeks since Sirius had escaped and now the whole wizarding world knew it but that didn't make Kate's life any easier. It fact it made it harder as it brought everything back, the stuff that she had to walk away from as she had spent years obsessing over it. Trying to figure out what she had missed, she had had grown up with Sirius as he had been her brother's best friend, her parents had taken Sirius in when he was sixteen and run away from his home. Kate always thought Sirius was different as he was unlike the rest of his family who were very big on blood supremacy and the dark arts but Sirius had said he didn't believe it all that nonsense. It's why his parents disowned which was why Kate had never really understood why Sirius did what he did. They all trusted him, Sirius was the last person who they ever would have suspected to turn to the dark arts and betray them. It never made any sense which was what drive Kate crazy about it, for close to a year to she spent practically every free moment that she had obsessing over the murders of James and Lily. Kate needed to know, whilst it didn't chance anything she needed to know why this had happened. It wouldn't bring James and Lily back but maybe she could finally Sirius why he did what he did.

"This is bullshit! This is like the third lead that has lead us to the middle of nowhere today! I bet whoever called in this sighting didn't even see him, probably just some poor unkept man and someone over reacting!" Kate yelled in frustration as she kicked a rubbish bin that was near her. She was so tired of all of this, Kate just wanted it all to be over but it couldn't. Not until Sirius was back where he belonged. First Kate had to find him which was next to impossible as Sirius could be anywhere, except for the small village in Suffolk. None of the leads that had come through the auror office had panned out so far. Each lead as was dead as the next.

"Kate…" Nolan began.

"Two weeks Sirius has been out there doing god knows on what, Sirius has made it clear that he works to his own personal agenda and had no regard for anyone. He killed one of his best friends, he is the reason why my brother and his wife are dead! Sirius Black ruined my life, he took away the only good things that I had in my life! God knows what Sirius has planned for now!" Kate said in an exasperated manner as she went about kicking the rubbish bin several more times until Nolan grabbed her and forced Kate to stand still and look at him.

"I know that you are angry and you have every right to be angry but you need to pull yourself together Katherine, as right now you are no use to anyone. Getting mad and kicking things isn't going to help anyone, it isn't going to help us find Sirius. You need a break Kate, it's been a very long few days and you've only gone home to get changed. You need a break so take an hour, go see Small Lady and then come back to the office." Nolan instructed in a firm manner and Kate knew he was right, the whole office not just her had been working tirelessly. If wasn't for the fact that they worked in the same office then her and Nolan wouldn't have seen each other in the last four days.

"Nolan…" Kate said as whilst she appreciated Nolan's offer she couldn't take a break, they needed to get back to work. There were plenty of more other leads and sightings that they needed to chase down. Confirm and verify was what they lived by in the aurors office.

"Wife. Please just do this one thing I ask of you without arguing for once. I will cover for you at work as I know our daughter would very much like to see you and I think you miss her as much as I do." Nolan stated with a warm smile and Kate leaned forward a pressed a kiss on her husband's cheek The two of them were polar opposites in so many ways but he had saved Kate's life in more way then one and continued to do so.

"I don't deserve you." Kate replied with a small smile before disapparating and moments later she was no longer with Nolan in the small village in Suffolk in which they were checking up on a Sirius sighting. Instead Kate was outside a very familiar run down cottage in Yorkshire. Taking a deep breath Kate knocked on the door and from where she stood Kate could hear the sound of approaching footsteps. The door finally opened and standing on the other side of the door was a familiar and friendly face although marred with scars. Remus Lupin was looking older than Kate had ever known him to be, older than his actually age with the sides of his brown hair started to go grey. "Hello old friend."

"Hello Kate." Remus replied with a small and friendly smile as he motioned for Kate to come in.

"I'm sorry for just dropping by like this but I'm taking a small break so I figured I'd stop by. The cottage seems to still be in one piece so I'm assuming that my daughter hasn't run the place down. How has she been?" Kate questioned as at the current moment she couldn't see her daughter anywhere which she wasn't sure was a good thing.

"Well Scarlett's your daughter to you tell me…" Remus quipped with a small smile and as he did, Kate noticed a small dark haired girl navigating her way through the back of the room rather awkwardly in a somewhat clumsy manner. Kate couldn't help but watch as her daughter walked idly around Remus' house humming herself with no idea that she was being watched by her own mother. It made Kate smile as she watched her daughter who was just as curious as a kitten, a very unique child with a rather interesting personality. The thing that Kate was most proud of.

"Hello Small Lady." Kate greeted in a warm manner addressing her daughter by the nickname that was given to her by Nolan when she was a year old. Immediately Scarlett's little head turned around to see who had called her and Kate watched as her little girl's blue eyes, the same eyes as Nolan's light up and Kate dropped to her knees and held out her arms and in mere moments Scarlett was running into her arms.

"Mama!"

"I have missed you so much sweetheart." Kate said as hugged her daughter tightly before getting back onto her feet, making sure that she had a tight hold on her daughter. Nolan had been right, just seeing their daughter and holding her made all the difference. Kate felt less angry and more in control of herself, she was better focused now.

"Tea?" Remus questioned and Kate nodded her head, she had more than enough time to stop for a cup of tea.

"Are we going home?" Scarlett asked as Kate sat the two of them down on the old sofa in the living room, Kate looked at her daughter who at times seemed much older than her four year old self. She would tell her the truth no matter what.

"Not yet. I'm still at work but I had a small break so I thought I would come and see you but you will come home soon, mama and papa miss you very much. So we will all be back together soon enough. We won't be apart for much longer, in fact I am sure that papa will come and pick you up tonight to bring you back home tonight." Kate said in a honest manner which caused her daughter to smile before she snuggled herself in closer to her mother. Kate knew that she had bene pushing herself way too much on finding Sirius, she was putting him first so much that she was letting the things that mattered most in her life take a seat back like her family.

"Have you caught the bad man yet?" Scarlett questioned.

"Not yet but I will, I promise." Kate replied as she placed a kiss on tip of he daughter's head. The two of them sat together in a comfortable silence until Remus returned with the tea like he had promised.

"She's missed you." Remus noted as he put out a cup of tea in front of Kate before settling himself into an armchair with his own cup of tea.

"I've missed her. Nolan and I have both missed her terribly but work has been crazy at the moment and it's non-stop. The office is under pressure to find Sirius and to bring him to Azkaban and right now all eyes are on us. We can't screw this up so right now we are practically working around the clock, following every possible lead and sighting into Sirius' whereabouts. Fudge is going bananas that Sirius managed to escape from Azkaban but then again everyone is, they simply have no clue how he managed to waltz out undetected but I suppose if anyone could do it, Sirius could." Kate wearily replied with a small sigh. "I suppose he'll be pleased that the biggest man hunt in Britain is underway to recapture him, Sirius was always such a glory hound back in the days."

"Has anyone figured out why he waited until now to escape? Twelve years is an awfully long time to wait and Sirius was never one for patience as I'm sure you can recall." Remus questioned. _Twelve years._ Kate thought to herself with a sigh, twelve years since her older brother James and his wife Lily were killed by Voldemort in their own home after being betrayed by Sirius Black. Someone who they had trusted since they're school days, to them he was more than a friend he was family. The only reason why Sirius was in prison was because he killed twelve muggles and one of his school friends.

"Lots of theories and apparently the dementors have overheard him mumbling something in his sleep but not much else."

"You look exhausted." Remus couldn't help but point out.

"I am, have been since this Sirius thing began. I've been living at my desk for the last few days, only going home to shower and get changed. Slowly killing myself to put that man back where he belongs." Kate grimly replied.

"You'll find him Kate, I know you will…"

"But at what cost? My life or the ones I care about? I can't let myself become the person I used to be. The one who was obsessed about the past and going down a dark hole of hate. I can't do that again, it took me a long time to get over that and I'm already going back down that path again. It's like nothing matters to me right now other than catching Sirius, to protect the ones I care about. I already lost my brother, my sister in law and Harry in a way because of Sirius. I can't lose anymore people I care about Remus." Kate warily said.

"But? Remus questioned sensing a but.

"I think of the innocent people who are in danger every second that Sirius remains out there. Who knows what he's doing but he needs to be stopped. I want to keep the people I care about safe, I may be a mother and a wife but I am also an auror. Sirius killed thirteen people before he was finally captured and sent to Azkaban. I can't let him get away, I have to be the one to send him back to where he belongs…"


	3. Chapter 3

_All in front of her Kate could see children laughing as they played with each other in a muggle playground. Most of them playing in small groups with each other, running around and chasing each other with no cares in the world. It was like Kate was staring into a sea of innocence. Every child there had a smile upon her their face and they seemed so happy, all except for one. There was one child, he couldn't be older than seven years who kept his distance from all the other children. He was the one child who liked like he didn't belong them. So stoic and withdrawn, yet so vaguely familiar even with his very oversized clothes Kate would recognize Harry anywhere. There was no mistaking her nephew with his messy and untidy jet black her, the round spectacles which made him look just like a miniature version of his father. Yet he had his mother's eyes and was just as skinny as his father had been.. Kate's heart swelled as she looked at her nephew, he had gotten so big since the last time she had managed to see him. Kate was supposed to keep her distance, it had agreed that until it was safe Harry would grow up not knowing about his aunt. Even though Kate had agreed to it, there was no way that she could just walk away from Harry. She couldn't just walk away from her only family, turn his back on him completely, if she couldn't be with him then Kate would watch him from a distance. It wasn't the same as being able to talk to Harry, to be able to hug him._

_ As Kate watched Harry awkwardly stand around the playground, watching the other children play and standing by himself. Kate watched him in interest and when she saw Harry trip over and no one did anything, nobody had even noticed. Before Kate even knew what she was doing, she found herself making her way over to the boy and helping him up onto his feet. Kate couldn't help but look him over and for the most part he seemed fine. Kate's heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest by seeing Harry this close up._

_"Are you okay kiddo?" Kate asked and she watched Harry slowly nodded his head._

_"I'm fine." Harry quietly replied and Kate watched as she saw Harry's eyes dart back and forth as if he was keeping an eye out for something or someone. No doubt his cousin Dudley, from what Kate had seen he was a pretty nasty fellow at times. Just like his parents. _

_"Your Harry, right? I'm Kate… Kate Goodwin." Kate began making introductions as to make Harry feel a little less uneasy about talking to her. If he was worried about anyone paying them any attention, then young Harry needn't be worried as no attention was paid on them at all. The muggles were too preoccupied in whatever they were doing to pay any mind to people standing on the edge of the playground._

_"Yes, hi Kate." Harry replied with an awkward smile and Kate couldn't help but notice how skinny her nephew was. It wasn't normal skinny, it was a skinny that came from not eating much. It was rather concerning but right now she wouldn't focus on that, Kate was rather caught up in the fact that she was standing here and talking to her nephew for the first time and he had just addressed Kate by her name. Something that Kate never thought that she would hear, but now she had because of a chance encounter._

_"I have something for you Harry. Take this and show no one." Kate said as she slipped her hand into her jacket and pulled out a letter, she had been planning on sneaking into the Dursley's home and sneaking the letter into the cupboard under the stairs where Harry was forced to sleep. But she had seen the family leaving their home and walking the short distance to the park and so Kate had followed them out of pure interest and now seemed to be as good of a chance of any to give Harry this letter. It was something that she had carried with her a few years now, a letter that would let Harry know that he wasn't as alone in the world as he thought._

_"I'm not supposed to take things from strangers."_

_"I'm not a stranger Harry, we've met before." Kate assured Harry with a smile.._

_"We have?" Harry asked, not quite believing and Kate nodded her head, whilst Harry may not remember the few short times that had met. But Kate did, she could remember the five times that she had seen Harry before that night when she had left Harry on that doorstep and forced to walk away from his. That had been years ago and in the time that had passed Harry had grown up so much. It made Kate feel all the more guilty for leaving him behind._

_"Yes we have, a very long time ago and let me tell you something Harry, it is so good to see you again and we will meet each other again. I promise you that…"_

* * *

Privet Drive. Kate stood in the distance and watched as the last light at number 4 finally went off, all day she had been standing here and watching the house more importantly the occupants of the house. Vernon and Petunia Dursely, their son Dudley and her nephew Harry Potter. Kate watched the house that she had left her nephew on the front step all those many years ago and there was a huge part of her that wanted to storm into the house and take Harry out of the care of his deranged muggle relatives and bring him out to her home. In the last few hours she had watched the family interact, the two large Dursley men being loud and boisterous, yelling about orders and being spiteful to Harry. Treating him like a piece of vermin instead of a member of their family. Kate could remember James once telling her that Lily's family were a bit funny even for muggles and hated their kind but from what Kate had seen today, the family were insane and very much questionable. They hadn't changed at all from all of Kate's previous visits, the times she had come to this house out of sight to check on Harry to see how he was doing and to have a chance to see him grow up even if it was from afar. The Dursley's were not good people, they were mean people who were very odd. Showing affection onto their only son but not onto their nephew. It wasn't right.

"You shouldn't be here Katherine."

Kate couldn't help but blanche at the use of her full name, very few people called her by her full name anymore. Nolan called her it occasionally as did Remus but the only times she had even been addressed as such was when she was at school and she was addressed as either Miss Potter and Katherine. Turning her head ever so slightly Kate saw a familiar older gentleman with a long silver hair and beard with bright blue eyes that were covered in half moon spectacle . It was Albus Dumbledore, Head teacher of Hogwarts and perhaps the wisest man that Kate had ever come across. "You really shouldn't sneak up on people Albus, especially me of all people as I am an auror after all."

"Please forgive me Katherine." Dumbledore replied in his usual tone of voice that was so calm and ethereal, that Kate forgave the use of her full name yet again. Kate knew she was busted and she felt like she was back in school again, being pulled into Dumbledore's office again after having some kind of outburst in the middle of the class. Kate forced herself to awkwardly look down at her feet and she shuffled around for a few moments. She knew that Dumbledore was waiting on her to speak.

"I know I shouldn't be here but I can't not be here Albus, I couldn't just walk away from Harry that night all those years ago and pretend like he was nothing to me, that I didn't know where he was, Harry is my nephew and James' only child. The only thing I really have of James and Lily. I understand why things have had to be this way, back then I was too young to take care of myself let alone Harry. Losing all three of them did a lot of damage to me, I was in a dark place for a long time. I know Harry has to stay with the, that Lily's sacrifice gave him extra protection that I can't provide as long as he dwells in a place where Lily's blood run. As long as he lives here with these people, they aren't good people Albus." Kate wearily said with a small sigh, none of this made her happy in the slightest.

"But they are his family Katherine–"

"–As am I Albus." Kate corrected in a rather prickly manner.

"Harry being her with them is for the best and you know that." Dumbledore attempted to explain and Kate shook her head as whilst she valued the opinion and advice of Albus Dumbledore there were something's that he couldn't talk to her about. Something's that he couldn't understand such as her family.

"Do I really? Twleve years ago I didn't know any better I did what my elders advised, what you all told me was for the best and I was so grief stricken that I let you all do what you wanted. I place my nephew on that doorstep and just walked away without a second glance." Kate began somewhat lying albeit as she hadn't walked away without a second glance. She had made a habit of checking up on Harry over the years, watching him grow up from a distance occasionally leaving small gifts for him. But no one could know that. Kate needed to keep that a secret. "But I am not that lost little girl in a sea of grief anymore, I am a grown woman with a family of my own now, regardless of that Harry is still my family. I care about him more than these people will ever do, I would have never made him sleep and spend most of his time living in a cupboard under the stairs or making him feel unwanted. I know I am perfect Albus as I did walk away, I didn't fight hard enough for him but I am doing that now. Harry has a family who loves me, who want him and he deserves to know that."

"Katherine…."

"I mean it Albus, I am not budging on this one." Kate firmly stated and she watched as Dumbledore quietly sighed.

"I had the pleasure of meeting your daughter the other day when I had a meeting with Remus Lupin, I believe you call her Small Lady? If you don't mind me saying that she has the beauty of her mother and the wits of her father. It'll be very interesting to see how she grow up." Dumbledore noted and Kate couldn't help but smile.

"Ah yes! I heard about that from Remus, I must say Albus that I am beyond thrilled that you offered him the job and he accepted. I think Remus would be an excellent addition to the teaching staff at Hogwarts. I know you took a risk with Remus because of his condition but I assure you Albus that Remus is worth it. He is a man and not the monster but keeps it at bay, we always make sure that he his wolfsbane so that the transformation is a little more bareable." Kate quietly said referring to Remus' lycanthropy which had prevented him from keeping a steady job because most people weren't excepting of werewolves. Kate was estatic that Remus had got a job that was qualified for and would excel at, he was suited to be a professor. Although that did mean that Kate was losing her best babysitter. Scarlett would be devastated to lose her favourite companion.

"I agree." Albus replied in a warm manner.

"I've heard rumours going around the office that Fudge wants dementors posted at Hogwarts because of this Sirius situation. Parents are worried and they want their fears to be reassured."

"I don't give much thought to rumours Miss Potter, I thought you knew that by now."

"It's a bad idea Albus, I understand the need to keep the children safe but having the dementors in the castle within close contact of them? That is a terrible idea. You know as well as I do that they hold no true loyalty, they will answer to whoever provides them with people to feed off. They will feed off the children to sustain themselves and whilst I am all for the added security, not this way. There are other ways to protect them. To protect Harry…" Kate wearily commented.

"Agreed. Which is why I told the Minister that I would not allow the dementors in the castle but they will be posted outside to the guard the castle. They will not come into contact with the students, I will clear to both the dementors and the students to keep their distance. Harry will be safe, I promise you Katherine." Albus replied and Kate felt marginally better, whilst the dementors were still going to be at the castle at least they were going to be guarding it from the outside.

"He's going to be safe as I'm going to do everything I can to protect him, not even Sirius will stop me from protecting Harry. I'll do what I wasn't able to do twelve years ago…"


End file.
